Rube Goldberg machine
Rube Goldberg machine noun: a comical, overcomplicated machine which performs a simple task.
Noun
Rube Goldberg machine (plural Rube Goldberg machines)
- A comical, overcomplicated machine which performs a simple task.
- Synonyms:
- Heath Robinson
- Anything that is overly complicated.
- To be overly cynical myself, that is still the macro view. Littlefinger’s execution and the white walkers passing through the rubble of the Wall are just two observations that this enormous Rube Goldberg machine is running on time.2017 August 27, Brandon Nowalk, “Game Of Thrones slows down for the longest, and best, episode of the season (newbies)”, in The Onion AV Club
Synonyms of Rube Goldberg machine
Forms of Rube Goldberg machine
| plural | Rube Goldberg machines |
|---|
Origin of Rube Goldberg machine
Named after American cartoonist Rube Goldberg, who drew many such machines in his comics.
Questions about Rube Goldberg machine
- What does Rube Goldberg machine mean?
- Rube Goldberg machine means a comical, overcomplicated machine which performs a simple task.
- What part of speech is Rube Goldberg machine?
- Rube Goldberg machine is a noun.
- What is the plural of Rube Goldberg machine?
- The plural of Rube Goldberg machine is Rube Goldberg machines.
Words near Rube Goldberg machine in the dictionary
Source and license
Adapted from Wiktionary: Rube Goldberg machine (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.
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Cite this entry: “Rube Goldberg machine.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/rube_goldberg_machine. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.